1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to reworking an inconsistency on a part and, in particular, to reworking an inconsistency on a part using a patch. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for forming a patch for an inconsistency using one or more patch images projected onto a rework material.
2. Background
An inconsistency may form on a part after a part has been manufactured. For example, an inconsistency may form on a part during fabrication, during assembly of the part, after the part has been in service, after operation of a platform on which the part is located, after maintenance, and/or after rework has been performed on the part. The inconsistency may be identified in a number of different ways.
For example, without limitation, the inconsistency may be identified using manual inspection of the part by a human operator, imaging techniques, nondestructive evaluation (NDE), and/or other suitable types of methods. Nondestructive evaluation also may be referred to as nondestructive inspection (NDI), nondestructive examination (NDE), or nondestructive testing (NDT).
Once an inconsistency has been identified, the inconsistency may typically be reworked. Reworking an inconsistency may include, for example, without limitation, filling in an inconsistency with a selected material, placing a patch over the inconsistency, or reworking the inconsistency in some other suitable manner.
With some currently available methods for reworking an inconsistency, sensor data generated using a nondestructive evaluation system may be used to print out a full-scale paper plot of the entire part or the area of the part in which the inconsistency is located. This paper plot may then be cut to trace an outline of the inconsistency on the part.
With other currently available methods, a transparent material may be overlaid on the paper plot such that the outline of the inconsistency can be traced on the transparent material. This outline may then be used to create a patch for the inconsistency. The transparent material may be, for example, without limitation, a plastic film, a Mylar sheet, a piece of transparent paper, or some other type of transparent material.
With one or more of these currently available methods, the time, effort, and/or cost needed to rework an inconsistency may be greater than desired. Further, with one or more of these currently available methods, reworking an inconsistency may be more difficult, more inefficient, and/or less accurate than desired.
Oftentimes, when reworking an inconsistency, one or more engineers may need to review the outline of the inconsistency to develop a plan to rework the inconsistency. These engineers may then need to explain the rework plan to one or more technicians. The technicians may use the outline of the inconsistency to rework the inconsistency based on the rework plan. For example, without limitation, the outline of the inconsistency may be used to form a multilayer patch for the inconsistency.
However, if the outline of the inconsistency is not properly aligned with the actual inconsistency of the part and/or the paper plot of the part is not properly aligned with the part, the patch may not meet a number of requirements for reworking the inconsistency correctly. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that takes into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.